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Under Pressure: Tyler Seguin

Tyler Seguin

“Under Pressure” is a preseason series we’ll be running on PHT. For each team in the NHL, we’ll pick one player, coach, GM, mascot or whatever that everyone will be watching closely this season. Feel free to play the song as you read along. Also feel free to go to the comment section and tell us we picked poorly.

For the Dallas Stars, we pick...Tyler Seguin.

We’re not just talking about his off-ice activities either, though those will certainly be watched. The Stars paid a hefty price to get the second overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Boston. After five straight missed playoffs, Dallas desperately needs him to justify his draft position, as well as his six-year, $34.5 million contract that starts in 2013-14.

Not that he’s been a total bust or anything. Seguin is only 21 and has already experienced team and individual success in the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, albeit in a limited role. The next season he led the B’s in scoring, with 67 points in 81 games.

But it was his failure to grow, both on and off the ice, that apparently convinced Bruins management to trade him.

Soft plays on the puck probably didn’t help either, like this one from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final versus the Blackhawks:

Which is why you get sarcastic responses like this from B’s beat writers:

Everyone knows the Bruins pride themselves on being hard to play against. Ultimately, they felt Seguin didn’t fit their culture of hard work and physical hockey. With Dallas, he’ll still have to win puck battles, but he won’t have the “Big Bad B’s” motto hanging over his head.

Seguin will also shift from the wing to center, which he calls “his natural position.” Saturday at the Stars’ scrimmage, he was between wingers Jamie Benn and Erik Cole, with the trio drawing rave reviews from new head coach Lindy Ruff.

“They were impressive. They made a lot of good plays, had real good speed,” Ruff said, per the Dallas Morning News. “I thought Tyler had a real good day. He had a good day yesterday and I thought he had an even better day today.”

According to Benn, Seguin is a good fit as a linemate.

“He’s so fast and skilled, and me and Colesy are moving sort of in straight lines,” Benn said of Seguin. “He’ll do the flashy stuff, and me and Colesy will just keep it grind-time.”

So far, Seguin is saying all the right things. He wants a leadership role. He wants to earn his teammates’ respect. All that’s left is to go do it.

For all of our Under Pressure series, click here.